Job Opportunities at Te Moata Retreat Centre and Nature Sanctuary, Tairua

We are looking for Assistant Managers to live on the land and support our current managers in the day to day running of the centre.


The roles are diverse and require the following skills:

  • management skills
  • excellent computer literacy (for the administration aspects)
  • well-developed organisational skills
  • practical can-do attitude
  • warm team relating
  • confidence in a public role

You will be sharing the work with the current managers.  Regular aspects of the work include:

  • administration and hosting of retreats
  • managing accommodation between retreats
  • maintenance of buildings and off-the-grid systems
  • care of the land
  • liaising with chef and teachers
  • managing woofer team who volunteer for retreats and do much of the housekeeping, gardening and work on the land

Comprehensive training and mentoring are provided.


You will receive a stipend, accommodation in a self-contained solar-powered cottage, and have free wifi and food necessities supplied.

This is a lifestyle choice to live in a QEII covenanted nature sanctuary in the stunning Coromandel.  You will experience and support varied well-being programmes, meditation retreats, and get to know a diverse community who visit Te Moata. The roles are ideally suited for a couple although a single person with the personality and skills required may be able to complete the team.

Applicants will need to hold vaccine certificates.

If you are interested in applying for these positions please email your CV and covering letter to retreat@temoata.org  Please type in subject line ‘Job Application for Assistant Managers/Administration Manager position’.

Suitable applicants will be invited to visit as a service team member on one of our retreats. This will give you the opportunity to experience Te Moata first hand and work alongside the current managers.

Latest Newsletter : SUMMER 2022

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Debbie Staite, kindly made this short film about Te Moata while on Rachel’s Tobins retreat. You can see it here.

From the Mercury Bay Informer: read about Te Moata’s Permaculture Course

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Wish List

Te Moata exists because of the love, caring and generosity of so many people. 

People who have donated time, materials, money, expertise, physical resources and spiritual resources. 

Our deep and heartfelt gratitude goes out to you all. 

Help us continue to weave miracles by contributing towards one of the following: 

  1. We would love some more heavy durable outdoor furniture for decks. 
  2. Rugs, mats, carpets, large and small, and bedside cabinets for the cubicles.
  3. Long plain earth-toned curtains are always in need.
  4. Vacuum cleaners (small chargeable ones too)  and kitchen appliances – now we have better solar in the cottages we can power these.
  5. A word-press whizz for help with our website.
  6. Dining room chairs- the wooden style
  7. Single slat bed frames- currently needing to upgrade a few
  8. New plates and cups in the kitchen. Please note our lovely new bowls – many thanks to a kind donor.
  9. The woofers don’t have hot water at their cottage kitchen sink – a new gas system is needed.
  10. Jam, marmalade, and pickles/chutneys are always appreciated! Many thanks to all our kind cooks.
  11. If  you have any skills you would like to offer – we would love to talk to you! We always need gardeners, volunteers for retreats and for working bees.

We are hugely grateful to those who share so generously. 

Thank you so much for your kindness.

Donations can be made by direct credit to:   Te Moata Charitable Trust 12-3044-0422743-00.

Please put your name and what the payment is for in the reference boxes.  Cheques can be sent to PO Box 100 Tairua, 3544. Emailing us is also a good idea – donations are tax deductible so let us know so we can produce a receipt for you. retreat@temoata.org

More Info:

Volunteer Tree Fellers or an experienced logger supervising a small crew.  We are keen to re-establish the natural forest cover on the 344Ha that we care for.  Now is the time to fell wild pine trees that are sprinkled all over Te Moata.  Now because there will be some residual damage to second growth native but it will quickly regenerate at this young age.  We need experienced people who can fell most of the trees, using wedging techniques, (and possibly hand winching) inside the area already taken by the small stands of pines. That is to say, fell the stand of pines within its own footprint.  This will not always be possible but is the quality to aim for.  Some underside limbing to keep the stems stable as they rot will be needed and some cutting of stems, where they bridge, to keep them low and promote a rapid rot. Estimated to be two weeks work for a crew of three experienced tree fellers. This is a job for a logger or arborist. A job that can be spread out over a couple of years. Please contact paul@temoata.org for more info.

Other Projects

The Kitchen Helper : July 2018

The Kitchen’s Helper is a 19 page fully illustrated recipe book and is a gift to Te Moata, written by Wwoofers Clara Hippchen and illustrated by Melissa Rollo and Clara. It can be DOWNLOADED HERE so you can print it yourself.  Dana (Koha) gratefully received.